George Ross Anderson, Jr.

George Ross Anderson Jr. (January 29, 1929 – December 1, 2020) was an American attorney, politician, and jurist who served as a judge of the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina. After graduating from Southeastern University and George Washington University, Anderson served for a year in the US Air Force during the Korean War. He worked in private legal practice from 1954 and was elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives for a one-year term in 1955. Anderson became a federal judge in 1980, nominated by President Jimmy Carter. He assumed senior status in 2009 and retired in 2016.

Early life and education

Anderson was born in Anderson, South Carolina. His father worked for the Equinox textile mill but forbade his son from working there. Anderson instead had a number of jobs, including delivering newspapers and roofing. He earned his Bachelor of Commercial Science degree from Southeastern University in 1949, studied political science at George Washington University from 1949 to 1951, and received a Bachelor of Laws from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1954.

Later life and death A federal courthouse was renamed in honor of Anderson in 2002, a rare honor for a living judge. The student center at Anderson University was named after him in 2015 and was one of his last public appearances. He was awarded the Order of the Palmetto by South Carolina.

Anderson received honorary doctoral degrees from Anderson University, the University of South Carolina, and the Charleston School of Law. He was instrumental in the life of his hometown's Anderson University and served on its Board of Regents. The G. Ross Anderson Student Center was constructed and named in his honor in 2016.